I went into town today to buy a few last items needed for Christmas presents. Oxford city was, as usual in December, decked out with an array of different lights hanging over the streets, a Christmas tree (which didn’t have any working light on – a bit odd!) and so forth. The streets were buzzing as it was late night shopping. The stores were full of Christmas music …
I guess that for most people in the UK, Christmas for them is the biggest festival, and time of celebration, of the year. A time for parties, a long holiday, relaxing, spending time with family and friends, lights and decorations, presents and gifts, Santa and TV.
For me, neither trees nor Christmas lights, nor the all-too-familiar music are at the heart of what Christmas is about. I have some big problems too with the intense consmerism that surrounds Christmas, where stockings are less something in which you put a cherished gift or two, but rather something which needs to be ‘filled’ with imaginative, and completely unnecessary, novelties.
Having said this, however, I do still love Christmas the festival and time of celebration. Winter in the UK can be a somewhat bleak time, with dark days and limited sunshine, the cold setting in and the knowledge that it will be several months before things get warmer again. At this time the lights and festivities can really cheer things up. There’s one street near to where we live where quite a few houses are completely covered on the outside with flashing Christmas decorations. While I wouldn’t dream of having them on my own house, they are interesting and cheerful, and my daughter loves it when we drive past and she can admire them – so, to be honest, do I!
So while this all may not be at the heart of Christmas, Christmas time is still for me a time of celebration and festivity – and it’s good to enjoy it!
Lloyd about life 